Trade With China ‘Welcome’—P.M.

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31209, 5 November 1966, Page 16

Trade With China ‘Welcome’—P.M.

(From Our Own Reporter) TIMARU, November 4. New Zealand’s words would never again carry weight in international affairs if Labour fulfilled the promise to withdraw artillerymen from South Vietnam, said the Prime Minister (Mr Holyoake) in Timaru tonight.

Everything the Labour Party had said, done, and promised on Vietnam had brought comfort to the Communists in China particularly, he said. A voice: Then why is New Zealand negotiating to sell apples to Canton? “I welcome it. I welcome the sale of our wool to China and imports from China,” said Mr Holyoake. “I want to see China in the United Nations and behaving like other countries. “At present China does not qualify to come into the United Nations because she preaches bellicose communism and bloody revolution. We should strive for friendly relationships and understanding with China, though I certainly don’t accept bellicose communism.”

Labour’s policy for the last election included the inte-

gration of the New Zealand forces with those of the allies in South Vietnam in support of treaty obligations, said Mr Holyoake. The president of the Labour Party (Mr N. Douglas, M.P.) and other party leaders had said that the Vietnam struggle was not civil war but Communist aggression. “So long as these people need the aid we promised under the S.EA.T.O. and A.N.Z.U.S. treaties we will carry out our obligations,” said Mr Holyoake. Mr Holyoake spoke to 650 persons in the Theatre Royal and was given an enthusiastic hearing. There were a few interjections, mainly from a man Who was identified by Mr Holyoake as one of those who had earlier distributed anti-Vietnam war pamphlets.